


Return to the Wild (Clans Rewritten - Book One)

by jfeather (ethandiesofdysentery)



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Gay Character, Multi, Trans Character, i made the series make sense with one (1) secret detail youre welcome, obvs way more characters, redtail is trans, redtail lives au, windclan tiny au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:47:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25656892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethandiesofdysentery/pseuds/jfeather
Summary: Fire is happily living his life as a kittypet with his father and sister until a spirit cat comes to him and tells him he must follow him to acheive his destiny. When Fire relents and allows the spirit to lead him to a group of forest cats that, apparently, he's destined to save, he finds himself tangled in a web of mutiny, mystery, and a little bit of magic - and finds that the biggest secrets may be what his own family is hiding from him.(Another Warriors rewrite ft. more fantasy, less plot holes, and a heavy helping of Fire having a personality.)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FatalBlow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FatalBlow/gifts).



> hewwo gays~ my names leo as in lionblaze and im gonna fix the entire series.
> 
> this will not be a scene by scene rewrite bc i dont rly have the book for reference, but ill try to hit as many story beats as i can.
> 
> n this is dedicated to fatalblow for their AMAZING rewrite which inspired me to fix some shit in my own way. thank u i know we talked like twice but ur an amazing writer keep that shit UP!
> 
> without further ado; the story

"Fire alone will save our Clan."

Pine watches from the shadows as a blue-grey she-cat recoils, eyes widening at the tortoiseshell seated across from her. He knows her fear - fire is a destructor, tearing apart families and homes, leaving ash and bodies behind. He watches as the tortoiseshell continues to insist that the sacred words are true - and they had better be. Falsifying messages from the Ancestors is paramount to treason. But Pine knows that the tortoiseshell's words are true - he knows very well, in fact.

He walks out of the clearing, starry paws frosting the lush foliage as he leaves the two she-cats to their hushed discussion. The Ancestors have finally shared the sacred words - and now it is his turn to play his own part.

Pine slips between tress and bushes, through thorns and brambles, purposefully taking the long route to give himself more time to enjoy the familiar territory. His leisurely stroll finally ends at a high wooden fence.

Without hesitation, the spirit leaps the fence with ease, landing in a small, well-kempt yard. He crosses the short grass, as familiar to him as the forest, and leaps atop a windowsill. From his perch, he can see inside the Twoleg den. There are a clutter of items thrown everywhere, stories to be told in every inch if Pine was in the mood to listen, but he is not here to observe the dwelling. No, his interest lies in the Twoleg pelt - blanket was the kittypet word - atop which three shapes slumber.

A large, long-furred ginger tabby curls protectively around two smaller shapes. The first is a small she-cat, brown tabby pocked with white and muted ginger. And next to her, camoflauged in the large tom's tail, is another ginger scrap - a tom kit. This is what Pine came here for.

He leaps gracefully through the window, landing neatly on the tiled floor and padding across the room to stand over the huddled shapes. He casts a gentle smile towards the older tom, lets his gaze rest for a moment on the pretty she-kit, and then, finally, his eyes land upon the tiny ball of fur, the ginger fluff hidden within the other tom's tail. Pine leans down, pressing his nose gently to the kit's forehead. The kit shivers, and Pine smiles.

"Sleep well, little warrior," he murmurs to the ginger kit. "Tomorrow, your life begins."


	2. a journey begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire meets a cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to chapter one! it's fire time.
> 
> apologies for a short chapter! it was either this or a Long Chapter From Hell. enjoy!

Fire inhales sharply, eyes on the shrew in front of him. The little bird is pecking at a seed, facing away from its hidden stalker. Fire moves forward carefully, slowly, just as he's been taught. The bird remains unaware of his presence, even when he's so close his quiet breaths seem to gently shift the bird's feathers. Bunching up his muscles, Fire prepares for the perfect pounce-

And rams headfirst into the fence, as the bird screeches again nd flutters away behind him.

Embarrassed, Fire turns around, ears flat on his head as he looks at his father and sister behind him. "Sorry," he mews. He has yet to complete a catch, but his sister, Princess, practically has fresh-kill piling up around her. 

"It's alright," his father, Jake, assures him, though he says so with an amused purr. "You're underestimating the strength of your pounce, Fire. Try starting from a little farther away next time."

"Yeah, in a couple days, once the prey forgets the ruckus you just made," Princess jokes. Fire can't help but purr in reply.

Once, he'd asked his father why Princess had a normal kittypet name, and his name seemed that of a loner. He still remembers Jake's response. _I named Princess myself. But your name came from a very close friend of mine. He started to call you Fire because of your pelt - and then it just stuck._

Occasionally, Fire has asked about the close friend Jake always mentions, but Jake will only ever stare sadly into the distance and shake his head. So Fire stopped asking. 

"Hush," Jake says, lightly cuffing Princess over the ear, earning a small giggle from the tabby she-cat. "Leave your brother be, you little rabbit-brain." 

Princess giggles again at the silly insult, and Jake just sighs.

"Okay, kits," he says, waving his tail towards the little flap on the back of the Twoleg den where they all live. "That's enough training for today."

Princess hops to her paws to follow her father back inside, but Fire clears his throat, drawing his family's attention.

"Uh," he says nervously, "is it okay if I stay out for a little more? I want to try to practice my pounce more."

Jake purrs and dips his head to his son. "Of course, Fire. Be in before dark."

"I will!" Fire promises, elated. He rarely gets time to practice on his own this way, and he always finds it to be less stressful and more fun without his much more talented family watching over his shoulder. Maybe this time, he'll even catch something!

Luckily, Princess had been wrong, and Fire spots a mouse almost immediately. He takes a deep breath. This is it. This time, he's going to catch it. 

Fire drops into the crouch he's been working on practically since he could talk, wriggling his haunches as if loosening up his muscles will make his pounce _less_ powerful. Then he begins to stalk. Silently, he slides forward across the grass, the mouse getting closer and closer as he moves. Remembering Jake's advice, he stops at a point from which most hunters would undershoot their jump. But not him.

The mouse remains oblivious. Fire takes a deep breath… 

And jumps.

He lands squarely on the mouse, snapping it's neck neatly as he does so. "Thank you for this prey," he murmurs. Jake had taught him to say that - he had said that they must always remember to be thankful for the food they are given. After a line of questioning, Jake had shared that he learned it from an old friend of his. Then Princess had sing-songed, "Dad has a boyfriend!" and Jake had told her that was rude and presumptuous, whatever that meant. 

"Nice catch, kit."

Fire purrs, looking up. "Thanks, Da-" His voice cuts off when his eyes land of the cat who had spoken. It's not Jake.

The speaker is a large, red tom, body criss-crossed with scars, which somehow gives him a sort of regal air. And…and Fire can see _through_ him. The bushes show through the tom's body, which sparkles with pricks of light that look like stars. Fire can't help but shrink away, ears pinned all the way back. The spectral visitor is terrifying - Fire wonders for more than a moment if he's simply gone insane.

"Don't worry, Fire," the tom tells him. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Fire jolts. "How do you know my name?" he demands. If his ears could go any flatter against his skull, they would. The red tom just purrs. 

"Because I named you, kit," he replies. Fire's eyes snap wide open.

"You know my dad?" Fire blurts, going from terrified to amazed that his dad could be friends with this ethereal cat at breakneck speed. 

"Knew," the cat tells him, bowing his head. "When I was alive."

Fire flips right back to terrified. "You're _dead_?" he squeaks out, shaking. Princess tells him ghost stories all the time, so he knows that ghost cats like to wreak havoc and eat the toes of kits. He won't let this cat eat his toes!

"I'm not going to hurt you, kit," the ghost purrs. He seems to find this funny. Fire finds it to most certainly be the _opposite_ of funny.

"Then what are you going to do?" Fire challenges, baring his teeth. He's been trained to fight. Well, he's not very good at it, but he _can_.

"Easy there, Sparky," the tom says, amused. Fire does not appreciate kit's nicknames being thrown on him, but he's smart enough to stay silent. "My name is Pine." He looks Fire up and down, a warm glow sparkling in his eyes. "And you have a destiny to fulfill."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey p.s. i have a youtube channel! check me out at clouttail babey!
> 
> thanks for reading! i always love me some comments! <3

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading! i make no promises as to an updating schedule and it would be a miracle if i even finished this first book.
> 
> that being said, i will do my best.
> 
> share your thoughts in the comments! it makes my day. <3


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